Extensions for The Railway Children and Les Miserables

Tuesday, 26th Apr 2016

It’s that time again in which some of the shows regularly enticing audiences to the capital announce new dates. This time around it is the popular King’s Cross Theatre production of The Railway Children and the long-running Les Misérables at the Queen’s Theatre.

The Railway Children is the adaptation of the E Nesbit story that has captured audiences by storm. This is the second time that the show has been seen at a specially-designed venue in the capital, with the previous run taking place at Waterloo Station and this one at the King’s Cross Theatre, behind the famous train station bearing the same name.
Before both productions the show ran at the National Railway Museum in York where it also found great success.

The story focuses on Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis, children who are used to city life but have found themselves in the countryside following the disappearance of their father. In Yorkshire they befriend a local railway porter, Mr Perks (Martin Barass), and discover a new adventure in a new home.

The production has been running at the King’s Cross Theatre since December 2014 and thanks to the new extension is now booking there to Sunday 8th January 2017.

Meanwhile, Les Misérables has a much longer history in the capital, having opened in London back in 1985 and playing at the Barbican and Palace Theatres before landing at its current location. An epic tale told over decades set amongst the backdrop of political turmoil or early 19th century France, it is a beloved story based on the novel by Victor Hugo, which he penned in the 1860s.

Its longevity in the capital makes its the West End’s longest running musical and one of the longest running in the world. It marked 30 years in London last year and only The Phantom of the Opera comes close to its long reign (having opened the following year in 1986).

With all that in mind few will be surprised to find out that it is extending Once again so that it is now booking at the Queen’s Theatre for performances up to Saturday 4th March 2017.

Chris Packer

Chris Packer has been writing about the West End for many years and wishes this knowledge would help him win some pub quizzes. When he’s not writing about the newest shows he’s probably watching films or anticipating the latest releases.